Type-writer&#39;s chair.



'N- Patented Nov. 4, I902.

:F. cmcues'ren.

TYPE wmTEns CHAIR.

(Application filed. Aptl 5,1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFrcE.

FRANKLIN OI-IICHESTER, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITERS CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,495, dated November 4,1902.

4 Application filed April 5, 1901. Serial No. 54,552. (No model.)

, made to yield; and the object is to simplify construction, enhance efficiency, and reduce cost.

Prior to this invention a chairhas been made havingan upright arm pivoted to the rear of the seat, such arm carrying a hinged chair-back, thearm being combined in operation with a toothed rack, and a latch for regulating the position of the arm. In that case the rack was worked by a longitudinal spring and the latch was operated by a separate handle-bar, with an additional spring acting laterally to throw the latch into the teeth of the rack-bar, and the chair-back arm, though adjustable in different positions, was then rigid and not susceptible of yielding. In the present contrivance the separate handle is dispensed with and also the latch-spring, while but two springs are employed when the chair is constructed with a yielding back.

For convenience in carrying my invention into practice I employ a fixture or casting adapted in shape for permanent attachment to the chair underneath the seat at the rear and constitutes the stock or frame carrying all the working parts.

Referring to the annexed drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the chair, partly in section, showing the fixture aforenamed affixed thereto. Fig. 2 is a view from beneath the chair-seat. Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 1, and Fig. dis a modification. I i

A in the drawings indicates the fixture or casting before named and consists of the stock at, furnishing the pivot-bearing for the swinging arm B, carrying the chair-back C. It also contains braces forming wings at a to receive holding-screws entering the edge of the chair-seat at the rear and fins b to receive holding-screws entering the seat from beneath. a

To theelower extremity of the arm 13 the toothed rack-bar D is connected at one end by a pin, the other end having a slot which in one with the handle-bar and is bent around with a return -bend, making a U -shaped spring, the confined end of which is secured in a lip f, cast on the fixture A. The said spring when the latch portion 11 is engaged in the rack-bar teeth exerts a resilience on the rackbar, and hence on the arm B, thus acting as a mainspring for throwing the arm B forward to hold the chair-back against the back of the occupant. At the sametime the latch 7 is capable of self-action laterally to spring into and engage the rack-bar teeth, as before noted. Moreover, it also serves as the handlebar, to which end the spring-latch isp rovided with a knob e as a handle. Thus there are united in one piece what formerly required four members-viz., the latch, a handle-bar for operating it, the arm-spring, and thelatchspring. In addition to theU-form spring in described another spring is required, here represented by a spiral spring h, connected at the movable end with the arm 13 of the chairback by, attachment to the rack-bar and at the fixed end to the chair-seat or some other stationary point thereof- -in this case the stock A a. This spring, though coacting usually with the U-spring, at times acts. independently. Thus in operation this arm B is normally inclined forward toward the back of the occupant, obeying the impulse of the U- spring, and will yield to the occupant when leaning against the back 0 in whatever position the arm B may be adjusted; but when the occupant desires to change the angle of arm B and the chair-back and lifts the latch by theknob e, disengaging it from the rackbar, the arm B loses all effect of the U-spring and is controlled independently for the time being by the spring h until the knob is let go and the spring-latch takes into the rackteeth, when both the springs act together on the arm B.

In the foregoing I do not confine myself to details, which may be varied Within the invention. In Fig. 4 the U-form spring-latch is allowed only a lateral motion for engaging in the teeth of the rack-bar, so that in this modification the chair-back does not yield when the latch is so engaged.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the chair-seat, the upright swinging arm, the chair-back thereon, the toothed rack-bar jointed to said arm, and the stock A, (1, located underneath the chair-seat and secured to it, furnishing the pivot-bearing for the swinging arm; of the U-formed spring'described, one arm of which is rigidly secured to the seat, the other arm being movable and arranged to engage said rack-bar.

2. In combination, the chair-seat,theswin ging arm, and chair-back thereon, the toothed rack-bar jointed to such arm, the stock A, and the U-formed spring made fast by one end to the stock, the spring-latch 11 for engaging the teeth of the-rack-loar, and the handle 6 for disengaging the latch, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The chair-seat, the stock A a, the swing ing arm B and chair-back, the toothed rackbar jointed to such arm, and the U-formed spring described connecting with the rackbar and secured to the stock A and serving as the mainspring for operating the rack-bar and chair-back, thefree end of which spring is arranged to have a lateral action for engaging in the teeth of the rack-bar as a springlatch, in combination with a spiral spring h, arranged between the chair-seat and arm B for independently controlling the chair-back when the U formed spring and the latch thereof is disconnected from the rack-bar, substantially as set forth.

FRANKLIN CHICHESTER.

\Vitnesses:

R. T. VAN BOSKERCK, EARLE H. SMITH. 

